Jack Kost: 12/20/25

Saturday, December 20, 2025

The Breaker - series. Books 1 - 3:

The Breaker

ISBN: 9781656281517

Description:

How do you know the one you love won’t hurt you?

Or even try to kill you?
In many cases … you don’t.

How do we choose our path and purpose in life?

What makes us who we are?
When Seth Egan starts working as a private detective, he knows he’ll make enemies.
It goes with the territory.
As Seth works on a murder case and hunts down the killers, he becomes the target.
Some people have no conscience, shame, empathy, or remorse.
To get their own way, to get what they want, to take everything, they will do anything.
Even murder.
In the end, they will drag you down to hell with them.
Sometimes, our enemies are those closest to us.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/eKFZ03giKR?amp=1

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Bad Blood

ISBN: 9798682203192

Description:

No one is paying Seth Egan for his latest case.

He keeps this one unofficial.

Pro bono publico.

Off the books.

For him, this one is personal.

A matter of bad blood.

A woman with a grudge of her own leads Seth to a place where people vanish without trace.

Money is the motive.

Greed is the motivator.

Scores that can only be settled in blood.

A dark underworld of illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, violence and murder.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/e0XiS8crAr?amp=1

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Mall Maze

ISBN: 9798729917235

Description:

Friday the 13th.

Unlucky for many.

What should have been a routine adultery case ends with Seth Egan fighting for his life.

Cut off from the world.

With no way to call for help.

Trapped in a place where the walls are coming down around him.

Seth is running out of places to hide.

As chaos reigns and the city burns … the hunters close in.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09244XVYW/

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Themes:

Abuse by proxy, Adultery, C-PTSD, crime, detective, domestic abuse, enabler, flying monkey, gaslighting, hardboiled, heist, infidelity, murder, narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, personality disorder, psychopath, sociopath, suspense, thriller, vigilante, violence.

Books available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of my books is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

What’s On?

A Guide to Movies and TV Shows

Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9798342696098

Paperback

ISBN-13: 9798341177307

Kindle

ASIN: B0DJTZ8T58

Back cover description:

What’s On? … is the timeless question we have all asked ourselves almost every day of our lives, as we reach for the remote control and settle in front of the TV screen.

Jack Kost, a life-long movie buff and coffee addict, offers his choice of favorite movie and television masterpieces.

Providing possible answers to the question of What’s On? with over 1,900 titles, from golden oldies and timeless classics, to more recent releases, all meticulously logged and summarized.

An invaluable and collectable go-to source for discovering new favorites and revisiting old ones.

Perfect for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, this guide will spark conversations, bring back memories, and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of screen entertainment.

A wealth of recommendations and insights from a passionate movie buff to enrich your viewing experience, complete with personal reminiscences and nostalgic reflections, told with a world-wise critical eye, sardonic dry wit, a healthy dose of cynicism, biting observations, and a well-founded rant here and there.

Just don’t challenge or get him started on his personal favorites, like The Shining, Point Blank, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Duellists, Romeo Is Bleeding, or The Ninth Configuration. His opinions on these and other iconic titles are as intense and unyielding as the movies themselves.

All compiled by an author who not only watched the movies, but also read the books on which they were based, did his research, drank a lot of coffee in the process, and advocates for the importance and value of reading.

A glimpse into the over-caffeinated mind of a writer with a passion for great stories.

What’s On? is a celebration of the intersection between page and screen, and a reminder that great on-screen adaptations often start with a great book and a strong cup of coffee.

Kick back, grab your coffee, and enjoy the show!

As author Jack Kost says:

“Happy viewing … and do yourself a favor … read the books.”

Slipped Masks:

Slipped Masks

ISBN: 9781719330640

Description:

I can’t call you because if he hears me talking on the phone he’ll hit me again. He scares me. I know sooner or later he’s going to kill me. I’ll text you again when I can. I love you, Casey. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you. Please come. Please save me …

With only text messages to guide him, Casey Byrne is on the hunt, racing across five states to save his ex-girlfriend, Madison.

Casey loves Madison deeply and wants desperately to save her life and rekindle their relationship.

But the closer he gets to her, the more surreal his journey becomes as the dead bodies pile up in his wake.

Clinical Lycanthropy: the delusion that a human can physically transform into a wolf.

If you were insane, would you know it?

How would you see the world if you were convinced you could transform into a wolf?

The hunter … and the hunted.

Slipped Masks is a dark neo-noir thriller about how the need for love and companionship becomes twisted into obsession, possession, jealousy, violence and murder.

A horrifying portrait of Clinical Lycanthropy.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/2Gwb135V3m

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Themes:

Sociopathy, narcissistic abuse, personality disorder, Clinical Lycanthropy, crime, murder.

Book available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of this book is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

Work in progress:

My next books are Triangulation and Stinger.

Books 4 and 5 in The Breaker series.

Set in the year 2001, the story continues from Mall Maze.

Themes:

Crime, detective, hardboiled, heist, murder, narcissism, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, psychopath, sociopath, thriller, vigilante.

A percentage from book sales is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

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The Breaker is an on-going series.

I’m outlining other stand-alone thriller novels.

Several coffee table books on my photography and my wife’s artwork.

A humorous book, based on the antics of our crazy pet Ragdoll cat, entitled: It’s That F****** Cat Again!

Here’s a GIF I made of our cat, settling down for another of his daily naps:

On this day in movie history - The Godfather Part III (1990):

The Godfather Part III

directed by Francis Ford Coppola,

written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola,

was released in the United States on December 20, 1990.

Music by Carmine Coppola.

Cast:

Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D’Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright, Helmut Berger, Don Novello, John Savage, Franco Citti, Mario Donatone, Vittorio Duse, Enzo Robutti, Michele Russo, Al Martino, Robert Cicchini, Rogerio Miranda, Carlos Miranda, Vito Antuofermo, Robert Vento, Willie Brown, Jeannie Linero, Jeanne Savarino Pesch, Janet Savarino Smith, Tere Livrano, Carmine Caridi, Don Costello, Al Ruscio, Mickey Knox, Rick Aviles, Michael Bowen, Brett Halsey, Gabriele Torrei, John Abineri, Brian Freilino, Gregory Corso, Marino Masé, Dado Ruspoli, Valeria Sabel, Remo Remotti, Luigi Laezza, Giuseppe Pianviti, Santo Indelicato, Simonetta Stefanelli, Francesco Paolo Bellante, Paco Reconti, Mimmo Cuticchio, Richard Honigman, Nicky Blair, Anthony Guidera, Frank Tarsia, Diana Agostini, Jessica DiCicco, Catherine Scorsese, Ida Bernardini, Joe Drago, David Hume, James D. Damiano, Michael Boccio, Frank Albanese, Marilee Albert, Salvatore Billa, Sal Borgese, Angelo Boscariol, Ludovico Caldarera, Homer Hut, John Cazale, Enrico Cesaretti, Geoffrey Copleston, Anton Coppola, Carmine Coppola, Gia Coppola, Tony Devon, Frank Ferrara, R. Emmett Fitzsimmons, Joe Fontana, Aldo Formisano, Luciano Foti, Paolo Gavanelli, Sal Lioni, Richard Maldone, Claudio Pacifico, Gianluca Petrazzi, Angelo Ragusa, Madelyn Renée Monti, Angelo Romero, Mitchell Shaw, David L. Thompson, Pietro Torrisi, F.X. Vitolo, Corinna Vozza, Claudio Zucchet.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek (1968)

Star Trek
Season 3. Episode 13.
Episode entitled: Elaan of Troyius.
Released December 20, 1968.
Directed by John Meredyth Lucas.
Written by John Meredyth Lucas, Arthur H. Singer.
Created by Gene Roddenberry.
Music by Alexander Courage.
Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, France Nuyen, Jay Robinson, Tony Young, Lee Duncan, Victor Brandt, Dick Durock, Charles Beck, K.L. Smith, Hal Baylor, Bill Blackburn, Frank da Vinci, Roger Holloway, Jeannie Malone, Eddie Paskey, Frieda Rentie.

On this day in movie history - Lover Come Back (1961 movie & novelization):

Lover Come Back

directed by Delbert Mann,

written by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning,

was released in the United States on December 20, 1961.
Music by Frank De Vol.

Cast:

Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Randall, Edie Adams, Jack Oakie, Jack Kruschen, Ann B. Davis, Joe Flynn, Howard St. John, Karen Norris, Jack Albertson, Charles Watts, Donna Douglas, JoAnne Ludden-Paige.

Recommended reading:

Lover Come Back

By Marvin H. Albert.

Novelization.
ASIN: B000WLAQ8I
Published by Gold Medal.
Published 1962.

Description:

She was only the hottest item on Madison Avenue, that’s all. Carol Templeton, the huckster’s dream, the consumer’s morsel. And the sharpest thorn in the side of Jerry Webster, the slickest operator ever to spend a million bucks on a phony advertising campaign. Carol would do almost anything to beat this handsome devil at his own game – even if it meant bearding the beast in his own bedroom. Lover Come Back is based on the hilarious screenplay by Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning. Starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall, the motion picture was produced byThe 7 Pictures Corp, Nob Hill Productions, Inc., Arwin Productions, Inc., and released by Universal Pictures Co., Inc.

On this day in television history - M Squad (1957):

M Squad

Season 1. Episode 13.
Episode entitled: Family Portrait.
Released December 20, 1957.
Directed by John Peyser.
Written by Fenton Earnshaw and Lawrence B. Marcus.
Music by Stanley Wilson.

Cast:

Lee Marvin, Jacques Aubuchon, Christine White, Walter Maslow, Ron Hayes, Morris Ankrum, Hallene Hill, Raymond Bailey, Chet Stratton, Barbara Knudson, Peggy Leon, Laurie Carroll, Sid Melton.

Born on this day – David Breashears:

David Breashears

Cinematographer

Writer

Producer

Mountaineer

December 20, 1955 – March 14, 2024

Credits:

Books:

Every Man For Himself? (an article published in American Alpine Journal) (1988); Last Climb (1999); High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places (1999); Everest: Mountain Without Mercy (1997).

Movies and television:

20/20 Wednesday (1997); ABC News Saturday Night (1998); Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright (1995); Ancient Graves: Voices of the Dead (1998); Ascent of Mount Everest (1983); CBS This Morning (2012); Charlie Rose (1997); Chasing Ice (2012); Cliffhanger (1993); Dangerous Earth (2016); Everest (1998); Everest (2015); Everest: The Death Zone (1998); Everest: The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine (1992); Expedition Earth (1990); Frontline (1983–2008); Frontline/World (2008); Galahad of Everest (1991); Great Wonders of the World (1993); Ice Climb (1993); Metanoia (2014); Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa (2002); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1998); Mount Everest, the East Face (1981); Mummies Revealed (2001); Nova (1997–2016); Remnants of Everest: The 1996 Tragedy (2007); Seven Years in Tibet (1997); The Making of Everest: On Location in the Death Zone (1997).

Born on this day – John Spencer:

John Spencer

Actor

December 20, 1946 – December 16, 2005

Credits:

100 Years of Hope and Humor (2003); 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005); 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2006); 20 Years of Must See TV (2002); 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2001); A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994); Albino Alligator (1996); An Evening at the Improv (1992); Another World (1964–1999); As the World Turns (1988); Black Rain (1989); Cafe Society (1995); Celebrity Dish (2000); Celebrity Poker Showdown (2003); Charlie Rose (2001); Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983); Cold Around the Heart (1997); Cop Land (1997); Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western (2004); Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1994); Early Edition (1997); Echoes (1982); Every Moment Counts (2002); F/X: The Series (1996); Far from Home (1989); For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots (2010); Forget Paris (1995); From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992); Golden Globes 50th Anniversary Celebration (1994); Green Card (1990); H.E.L.P. (1990); Hiding Out (1987); In the Arms of a Killer (1992); Intimate Portrait (2001–2004); Key Exchange (1985); L.A. Doctors (1999); L.A. Law (1990–1994); L.A. Law 100th Episode Celebration (1991); Law & Order (1990); Lesser Prophets (1997); Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1997); Meteor (1979); Miami Vice (1986); O.K. Garage (1998); Once Again (1987); One Life to Live (1968–2013); Presumed Innocent (1990); Ravenous (1999); Ryan's Hope (1976); Saturday Night Live (2002); Sea of Love (1989); Simple Justice (1989); Spenser: For Hire (1986); Tavis Smiley (2004); The 17th Annual People's Choice Awards (1991); The 18th Annual People's Choice Awards (1992); The 19th Annual People's Choice Awards (1993); The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1991); The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2001); The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2002); The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2003); The 57th Annual Tony Awards (2003); The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2006); The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003); The 8th Annual Soap Opera Digest Awards (1992); The Bob Braun Show (1975); The Doctors (1976); The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2004–2005); The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2006); The More You Know (1989); The Negotiator (1998); The Other Side of Victory (1979); The Outer Limits (1999); The Patty Duke Show (1963–1964); The Protector (1985); The Rock (1996); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (2000–2001); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1992); The Verne Miller Story (1987); The Wayne Brady Show (2004); The West Wing (1999–2006); The West Wing Documentary Special (2002); Touched by an Angel (1995); Tracey Takes On... (1997); Trinity (1998–1999); Twilight (1998); WarGames (1983); When No One Would Listen (1992); Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (1995).

Born on this day – Mala Powers:

Mala Powers

Actress

December 20, 1931 – June 11, 2007

Credits:

77 Sunset Strip (1962); About Faces (1960); Appointment with Adventure (1955); Arrest and Trial (1964); Bengazi (1955); Bewitched (1967–1968); Biography (1998); Bonanza (1959); Bourbon Street Beat (1959); Bronco (1960); Calling the Shots (1988); Celebrity Playhouse (1955); Century of Cinema (1995); Charlie's Angels (1978 / 1979); Cheyenne (1960–1961); City Beneath the Sea (1953); City That Never Sleeps (1953); Crossroads (1957); Cyrano de Bergerac (1950); Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969); Daniel Boone (1967); Death in Small Doses (1957); Doomsday Machine (1976); Dr. Kildare (1964); Edge of Doom (1950); Everglades! (1962); Fear No More (1961); Flight of the Lost Balloon (1961); Frontier Justice (1959); General Electric Theater (1961); Gentle Ben (1967); Geraldine (1953); Girl Talk (1964); Gypsy (1966); Hawaiian Eye (1960–1963); Hazel (1965–1966); Here Come the Brides (1969); Here's Hollywood (1961); Hitters (2002); Ironside (1970); Jericho (1966); Kraft Suspense Theatre (1964); Lawman (1961); Lock Up (1960); Man on the Prowl (1957); Matinee Theatre (1957–1958); Maverick (1961); Mission: Impossible (1967); Mr. Adams and Eve (1957); Murder, She Wrote (1990); Outrage (1950); Perry Mason (1959–1966); Rage at Dawn (1955); Rawhide (1962); Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women (2014); Rogue's Gallery (1968); Rose of Cimarron (1952); Seis pasajes al infierno (1981); Sierra Baron (1958); Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood (1987); Studio 57 (1955); Stump the Stars (1953–1964); Sugarfoot (1960); Surfside 6 (1961); Switch (1977); Tammy and the Bachelor (1957); TCM Remembers 2007 (2007); The Bob Cummings Show (1961); The Colossus of New York (1958); The Connextion (2005); The Ford Television Theatre (1955–1956); The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (1958); The Gallant Men (1962); The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (1956); The Les Crane Show (1965); The Magical World of Disney (1960–1961); The Man and the Challenge (1960); The Man and the City (1971); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965); The Rebel (1960); The Restless Gun (1958–1959); The Silent Force (1970); The Storm Rider (1957); The Unknown Terror (1957); The Wild Wild West (1966); The Yellow Mountain (1954); This Is the Life (1970–1972); This Is Your Life (1956–1958); Thriller (1962); Tombstone Territory (1960); Tough As They Come (1942); Undercurrent (1957); Wagon Train (1958); Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958); Where the Wind Dies (1976); Wide Country (1963); You Don't Say (1964); Zane Grey Theatre (1957).

Born on this day – John "Bud" Cardos:

John "Bud" Cardos

Director

Actor

Stuntman

December 20, 1929 – December 31, 2020

Born on this day – Nicole Maurey:

Nicole Maurey

Actress

December 20, 1925 – March 11, 2016

Credits:

Action (1957); Au théâtre ce soir (1972–1974); Avatar (1964); Blondine (1945); Call My Bluff (1968); Casablanca (1955); Catherine, il suffit d'un amour (1986); Champion House (1967–1968); Chanel Solitaire (1981); Comme du bon pain (1976); Companions of the Night (1953); Coulisses (1986); Creepy Classics (1987); Chaste Dwelling and pure (1967); Diary of a Country Priest (1951); Fan of the 80s (2012); Gloria (1977); High Time (1960); His and Hers (1961); Igor Cassini's Million Dollar Showcase (1956); Joseph Balsamo (1973); Juke Box Jury (1961); The Battle of the fire (1949); La demoiselle d'Avignon (1972); The Moon Dad (1977); The moral of History (1966); The Passenger (1974–1975); The Lost Sentence (1964); The Fourth Dimension (1970); The Lives of Others (1980); The life and passion of Dodin-Bouffant (1972); The Black Rider (1945); Fire in the Snow (1973); The Grand Batre (1997); The Hearth Cricket (1972); The Provocateur (1973); The five last minutes (1983–1989); The Writers (1973); Famous escapes (1972); Nights of Anger (1973); Little Boy Lost (1953); The eye in Coulisses (1953); Love in Monaco (1959); Lucien Leuwen (1973–1974) Marianne a star for Napoleon (1983); Marie Dorval (1973); Mariage à la Mode (1955); Me and the Colonel (1958); My Only Love (1971); Napoleon (1955); Christmas at the Four Winds (1971); Operation Magali (1953); Overseas Press Club - Exclusive! (1957); Pamela (1945); Coffee Break (1981); Placed in police custody (1994); Reflections Cannes (1959); Rendez-vous à Grenade (1951); Rogue's Yarn (1957) Rouletabille (1966); Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954); Bad Times for Flies (1966); Secret of the Incas (1954); Section of the Missing (1956); Shooting Stars (1961); Sunday Night Thriller (1981); The 32nd Annual Academy Awards (1960); The Big Risk (1965); The Bold and the Brave (1956); The Day of the Triffids (1963); The Ford Television Theatre (1955); The House of the Seven Hawks (1959); The Jayhawkers! (1959); The Last Robin Hood (1952) The Most Wanted Man (1953); The Scapegoat (1959); The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1958) The Very Edge (1963); The Weapon (1956) Top jury (1966); An Atrocious Little Music (1973); Why Bother to Knock (1961)